Materials / Compare
FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plywood
Compare FDM Polycarbonate vs. Plywood strength, stiffness, weight and thermal properties.
| Try it on a partA sample part to run stress or thermal on, free in your browser | Open in LessCAD | Open in LessCAD |
|---|---|---|
| Mechanical | ||
| Yield strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical | not given (tensile used) |
| Ultimate tensile strength | 53.3MPasourcetypical, peak stress (= stress at yield) | 41.4MPasourcemodulus of rupture (no direct tensile value) |
| Flexural strength | 89.4MPasourcetypical | 41.4MPasourcestatic bending MOR (Douglas-fir); range 33.72-42.61 across species |
| Elongation at break | 9.2%sourcetypical | not sourced |
| Young's modulus (stiffness) | 2.39GPasourcetypical | 7.45GPasourcestatic bending MOE of the panel (Douglas-fir); range 6.96-8.55 across species |
| Density | 1,180–1,200kg/m³sourcerange | not sourced |
| Strength to weight | 44.8kN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Stiffness to weight | 2.01MN·m/kg | not sourced |
| Poisson's ratio | 0.38sourcebase material: polycarbonate family typical (Covestro Part and Mold Design guide, Table 3-1) | not sourced |
| Shear modulus | 0.867GPa | not sourced |
| Bulk modulus | 3.33GPa | not sourced |
| Speed of sound | 1,418m/s | not sourced |
| Thermal | ||
| Thermal conductivity | 0.2W/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, through-plane, 23 °C | 0.12W/m·KsourceAPA-recommended design value (Douglas-fir plywood), as reported by FPL/ORNL |
| Thermal expansion | 65µm/m·Ksourcebase material: Covestro Makrolon 2405 injection-molding PC, typical, 23-55 °C, parallel | 3.1–4.5µm/m·Ksourcebase material: solid wood parallel to grain, ovendry, range across species |
| 100 mm part over a 50 °C swing | 325µm growth | 19µm growth17.1x less |
| Specific heat | not sourced | 1,700J/kg·Ksourcebase material: solid wood (all species), 12% MC, 27 C |
| Heats up and cools (diffusivity) | not sourced | not sourced |
| Thermal shock resistance | 42.5W/m | not sourced |
| Glass transition | 108°Csourcetypical | not sourced |
| Max service temperature | 105°CsourceHDT 0.455 MPa (printed specimens) | not sourced |
| Values for | Ultimaker PC, 3D-printed specimens, XY (flat); Ultimaker S5 Pro, engineering intent profile, 0.15 mm layer height, AA 0.4 print core, 100% infill, Cura 4.9, printed one-at-a-time, conditioned >=24 h at room temperature. TDS (file v5.00), April 20, 2022. | Douglas-fir plywood sheathing (construction plywood per PS 1), static bending properties from USDA FPL Wood Handbook FPL-GTR-282 Ch. 12 Table 12-2 (Biblis 2000) |
Every value links to the document that states it. "Not sourced" means no citable source states it (or only a specification minimum); figures computed from it are left out too.
FDM Polycarbonate is 3D printed: its properties depend on build direction and print settings; these are typical values.
Questions
Is FDM Polycarbonate stronger than Plywood?
FDM Polycarbonate is stronger: its yield strength is 53.3 MPa against tensile strength 41.4 MPa for Plywood (29%).
Which is stiffer, FDM Polycarbonate or Plywood?
Plywood is stiffer: Young's modulus 7.45 GPa against 2.39 GPa for FDM Polycarbonate, so the same part in Plywood deflects less under the same load.
Which conducts heat better, FDM Polycarbonate or Plywood?
FDM Polycarbonate conducts heat better: 0.2 W/m·K against 0.12 W/m·K for Plywood.
Which expands less with temperature?
Plywood expands less: 3.8 µm/m·K against 65 µm/m·K for FDM Polycarbonate.